Exerciser mechanism



Dec. 22, 1931. COLE 1,837,532

EXERCISER MECHANISM Filed Nov. 22, 1929 Jwumiot F ELE 2? Patented Dec. 22, 1931 Y UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE- JAMES J). COLE, or CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, onio, .assrelvon To DOMESTIC ELEo'rn c COMPANY, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, A conroanrro v or onro EXEBCISER MECHANISM Application filed' November 22, 1329. Serial No. 408,969.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a simple and eflective'mounting for an exerciser mechanism, such as the type em-1 ploying a belt or girdle, to embrace the body or body parts of the user to impart mechani% cal vibrating impulses thereto. Machines of this type employ various applicator arrangements, such as hand-hold devices and belts interchangeably.

This application is a continuation, in part of my application Serial No. 315,858, filed October 29, 1928, wherein an exercising machine of the type mentioned is shown and described in detail. 1 I

A further specific object is to provide a simple device for attaching a mechanical vibrating machine to a door in such manner that the door will serve as a yielding support for the machine.

Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent from-the following description relating to the accompanying drawings, wherein I have shown my preferred forms. The essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 isa sectional plan view of a door frame and ordinary door in open position, with the exerciser mechanism mounted thereon; Fig.2 is a plan view showing one form of mounting, including part of the door, the stile portion only of the door being shown in horizontal cross section; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the exerciser mechanism and the attaching portion of the mounting, as shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing a modification with respect to the attaching portion of the mounting; Fig; 5 is'a side elevation of the exerciser mechanism showing still another form of mounting arrangement, and Fig.6 is a fragmentary sectional plan view taken sub-' stantially along the line 6-6 on Fig. 5.

Prior to my invention, most exerciser arrangements of the vibrating belt type were supported on special stands which were rugged enough to withstand the vibration due to the unbalanced crank effect which is inherent in these machines by reason of having to alternately pull the ends of the belt or girdle, or to actuate otherexercising arrangements, such as handles. A very fewexerciser machines of this type were supported on ordinary tables and Were'provided with special securing arrangements to hold the machine in place onsuch tables. A common disadvan- F tage of the latter type of machine has been that the surfaces of such tables aremarred by the use ofthe machine due to. vibratory moveme'nts'of the machine in action, rapidly shifting the machines base on the table.

My arrangementis' designed to overcome these difficulties by absorbing the major portion of the practically necessary vibration by hinged'ly mountingfthe exerciser on a rugged portion of a building, the hinge axis being vertical so that theexercise'r'may re main at thedesiredheight from the floor. As a practical proposition, the hinged part of the mounting preferably comprises an ordinary vertically hinged door. Thus the door serves essentially as a comparatively heavy horizontally yielding bracket which will permit suificientgive to yieldingly absorb nearly all the 'yibrations of the machine running idle, while not detracting from the force of the exercise" when the machine is being used. Inasmuch as substantially all buildings are equipped with doors, no equiv alent bracket has to be provided as a commercial proposition, a suitable clamp larrangement serving to rigidly attachv the exercising machine to any door. 7

In using such clamping arrangement,- I propose to mount the machine at the free vertical edgeof thedoor with the vibrating belt or itsequivalent extending, that is, having its operating position, substantially in the plane of the door-and. disposed outwardly from such edge. Inthisway, when the user throws his weight away from the machine to increase the exercisingefii'ect, the reactive support will be adequate in all cases, and further, the major part ofthe'vibration reactions will be yieldingly absorbed by the door, which is relatively heavy, and finally by the door frame through the hinges. This support also enables the machine to be used in many positions in a room, wherethe door swings'inwardly asusual, and permits the machine to be swung out of the way temporarily when the user does not wish to wholly dismount it to put it away. There is a marked advantage in that, due to yieldingly supporting the machine, a great deal of wear is saved on the machine itself, particularly on the shaft bearings and motor armature parts, whichlatter are comparatively, delicate and finely adjusted for greatest efliciency. H r i Referring in detail to thedrawings, and first to Fig. 1, I show at Aan or'dinary door 7 frame to which a door B is attached by the usual hinge construction 0. The motor housing for the exerciser machine is indicated at land, as shown, has crank arms 2 at the ends of a. shaft-passing transverselyofthe motor casing and whichmay be driven through a worm gear reduction, such-as fully shown in my above mentioned prior application. The applicatorgshown in Figs. 1 and 2 is a belt 3 having its ends suitably, and preferably detachably, connected-tothe crank arms in any suitable manner. ,The motorihousing 1 has rigidly associated therewith a mounting device by which the housing may be securely fastened'to the door at the verticaLedge thereof, at any desired height from thefioor. .The preferred arrangement of machine and mounting is shown in detail inFigs. 2 and 3.

InFig. 2, the'motor housing has a sup porting pad or base effect at 5machined on. one. vertical surface to carrya bifurcated bracket member 10. The bracket may be securedto the pad effectas by screws 11, and has arms 15 and 16 extending,intoiembracing relation to the door stile'at the freeedge of the, door. The arms arespaced apart sufli ciently to embrace door stiles of; varying thickness. The door stile is indicated B. The arm- 15 carries a clamping device shown as a clamping screw 17 with anenlarged' swiveled clamping. pad 18, there being a thumb piece 19 for turning the screw.

The pad and the arm 16 may have suitable friction cushioning -material where 1 these parts engage the door surface to prevent marring and slippage. Preferably, I provide a hollow shoe member'20, for the arm l6 which shoe may be molded fromrubber or like resilient friction. material to slip over the free end of the arm. 'This corresponds in general to the flat taper shape of the arm 16, as shown, and may beheld on by a fasten ing screw '21 (Fig.2). The pad may have a similar shoe shown as a Fslipover member 22adapted to be molded from rubber or the like. The molded rubber shoes have been foundentirely suitable, in connection with the clamp above described, to hold the exerciser machine in rigid relation to the door.

If desired, the arm opposite the clampin screw may have ,a hook effect at its. en

I designated 25 for engaging the usual shoulder at the inner edge of the door stile, as shown in Fig. 4. The arm and the inner side of the hook effect may be provided with a cushion member, such as 26, to prevent marring the door.

Another form of mounting is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, wherein the bracket lO has door embracing arms, designated 30. The

arms embrace the door stile as shown in the other arrangement,but in this case, each of the arms has a downwardly open slot 33 adapted to embrace the-j'usual shaft-D, to

which the usual door knobs are secured.v

various advantages heretofore mentioned. I

I claim 1. In combination, an electric motor-and casing therefor, mechanism'carried by the casing and adapted to impart vibrating'impulses to an applicator, and a bracket rigidly associated with the casing comprising spaced arms adapted to embrace the free vertical edge of an ordinary vertically hinged. door, and clamping means 1 associated with the bracket to'engage the door, whereby the door will swingably support the said motor and mechanism.

- 2. In combination, a mechanical exerciser and vibration applicator therefor, and means to hold the exerciser on' a door withthe applicator extending substantially in the plane of the door, said means comprising amounting member having spaced parts adaptedto V embrace the door edge between them, and clamping means carried by the mounting member to clampingly engage the door to hold the exerciser in substantially rigid relation thereto.

3. In combination, a motor and easing, means driven by the motor and carriedby the casing and arranged to impart vibrating 1H1- pulses to a strap, a bracket havinga portion extending along one side of a door, means carried by the bracket and arranged to 1eX' tend along. the opposite side of such door, and clamping means carried by the bracket to hold the bracket in fixed position on the door. 7 I

4. In an attaching clamp for an exerciser machine, rigid spaced arms adaptedto em brace the opposite surfacesof a door at the edge thereof, a screw clamp including a shoe on one of said arms, a yielding resilient.- friction member adapted to slipover the shoe to engage one surface of the door, and a tubular resilient friction member adapted to slip over the arm opposite the shoe to engage the opposite surface of the door, whereby the eX- erciser may be prevented from movement with relation to the door solely by the friction of said yielding members in association with the clamping action of the screw.

5. In combination a mechanical exerciser slot therein adapted to hook over the door knob shaft and a clamping screw associated with said bracket for holdin the bracket at said slotted portion in em with said door knob shaft.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

JAMES D. COLE.

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